2024 Wisconsin gun deer hunting season; harvest totals, license sales
MADISON, Wis. - With Wisconsin's gun deer season closed, the Department of Natural Resources released preliminary license sales, harvest registration and hunting incident numbers on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
As of 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 1, sales for gun, archery, crossbow, conservation patron and sports licenses reached 791,023, up from 788,697 for the same time period last year. Of those, 553,652 were for gun privileges only, up from 553,479 in 2023.
Harvest totals
Preliminary DNR figures show hunters registered 189,622 deer during the 2024 gun deer season – including 89,787 antlered and 99,835 antlerless deer. Compared to 2023, the gun season harvest total is up 5.2% statewide, with the antlered harvest up 3.6% and the antlerless harvest up 6.6%.
Since the opening of the bow and crossbow seasons, Wisconsin hunters have registered 289,361 deer. This harvest is 8.7% ahead of the same time last year.
Adams County in the Central Farmland Zone led the state with 12.4 deer registered per square mile. Vernon County led the Southern Farmland Zone with 7 deer registered per square mile. Adams County also led the Central Forest Zone registering 4.2 deer per square mile. Finally, Florence County led the Northern Forest Zone with 2.9 deer registered per square mile.
For the 2024 gun deer season, regional harvest data by deer management zone – and compared to the five-year average – can be found on the DNR's website.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
The regular gun deer season ran from Nov. 23 through Dec. 1 and is followed by the statewide muzzleloader season (Dec. 2-Dec. 11), the statewide antlerless-only four-day hunt (Dec. 12-Dec. 15) and the antlerless-only holiday hunt in select farmland zone counties (Dec. 24-Jan. 1, 2025).
Hunting incidents
As of Tuesday morning, the DNR reports only one nonfatal firearm-related hunting incident during the 2024 gun deer season.
- Vernon County, Wheatland Township: On Nov. 29, 2024, at approximately 4 p.m., a 14-year-old male was sitting in an enclosed tower stand with his father, hunting on private property. The victim’s father heard what sounded like a gunshot in the distance. Shortly after, the victim felt pain in his feet and found that he was shot through both the left and right foot. The victim was transported privately to the hospital and received medical treatment for his injuries. The shooter has been identified, and an investigation is pending.
With various hunting seasons continuing through January of next year, the DNR reminds hunters to always practice the four primary rules of firearm safety, known as TAB-K:
- T – Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
- A – Always point the muzzle in a safe direction.
- B – Be certain of your target, what’s before it and what’s beyond it.
- K – Keep your finger outside your trigger guard until you are safe to shoot.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android
First harvest certificates
Hunters of all ages who harvested their first deer are encouraged to highlight this significant occasion with a first harvest certificate.
Violation hotline
Anyone with information regarding natural resource violations may confidentially report by calling or texting 1-800-TIP-WDNR or 1-800-847-9367. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Trained staff relay the information to conservation wardens. File a report online.